Back in the Philippines
Fr. Bernie Rosinski is back in the Philippines teaching ESL as he did at about the same time last year. A veteran of general and provincial administration, he has also been tapped as a resource to the young region as it gets its own administration in order. The following is from a reflection he wrote about Holy Saturday near Manila:
“’Cast down fire from heaven!’ This biblical image was realized before our eyes at San Lorenzo Ruiz parish church in Quezon City, one among the many towns which constitute the great metropolis of Manila in the Philippines. Several SCJs, including myself, were present for the Holy Saturday Vigil services in this parish…
“The local parish priest and we three SCJ priests assisting him proceeded to the place where the firewood for the “blessing of fire” had been prepared in a large public square about 200 feet from the entrance to the church. The church service attendants, about 400 in number, were gathered in the square and surrounded the fire pit.
“At the precise hour, I heard a kind of explosion and witnessed a burning fire brand or fire pot rapidly descend laterally from a nearby roof and drop a vertical distance of about 50 feet and a horizontal distance of about 100 feet directly onto the firewood, immediately causing it to begin burning (I think the wood had been soaked in kerosene). As the fire descended, I could see that it was confined to a device that had an eyehook and dropped along a wire leading from the rooftop to the fire pit. The arrangement was ingenious and evoked the mystery of fire as an Old Testament image of God. After this dramatic beginning, the ritual of blessing the fire and the Easter candle and procession into the parish church took its normal course.”
Click here to read the rest of Fr. Bernie’s reflection and visit the province blog frequently to see other posts.
Besides Fr. Bernie, Fr. P.J. McGuire will be in the Philippines giving workshops on Fr. Dehon.
In Rome
Br. Duane Lemke, province formation director and local superior of the Dehon Formation Community in Chicago, is in Rome this week at an international meeting of the directors of SCJ formation programs.
In South Dakota
While Fr. Bernie and Fr. P.J are in the Philippines and Br. Duane is in Rome, many other members of the province, as well as employees, will be in Chamberlain, S.D., April 8-9 for Mission Education.
The gathering, held approximately every three years, brings together employees and others who collaborate with the Priests of the Sacred Heart, to learn about the congregation and its founder, as well as connect with each other.
Mission Education was last held in 2009 at Sacred Heart School of Theology. Previously it has been in Mississippi, and held once before in South Dakota.
Check the province Facebook page later in the week for photos from the gathering.
Congratulations!
As noted on the province Facebook page last week, Fr. Joseph Dinh successfully defended his thesis: “Bridging the Gap for Future Generations: Developing a Plan for Ministry to Vietnamese-American Families Living in Bi-Cultural Communities.”
He will receive his Doctor in Ministry from Houston Graduate School of Theology on May 11 during a 10:30 a.m. ceremony. SCJs are invited to attend the graduation and reception. If you plan to be there please contact Fr. Joseph at jtdscj@gmail.com or call 832-818-1902.
Sold!
The SCJ residence in Raymondville, Texas, was sold on April 4 to an organization that operates group homes for orphans of immigrants. Fr. Richard MacDonald, who stayed at the property while it was on the market, is in the process of moving out of the house. The new owner is allowing Fr. Mac to remain until April 15; you can imagine that he has been busy packing since the close was set.
We’ll send an update on Fr. Mac’s new address when it is available.
Province election updates
Please note that Fr. Joseph Dinh asked to have his name removed from consideration for provincial elections. It was mistakenly left on the list that was sent to SCJs earlier this month.
Requests for proxy ballots must be made, in writing, by April 15. Contact Fr. Terry Langley, provincial secretary, for more information.
Preparatory items for the June Provincial Election Assembly will continue to be posted in the Members section of the province website. If you need assistance logging into the Members section, please contact Mary Gorski.
And a final reminder to baseball fans: Fr. Tom Cassidy is hosting a baseball game for SCJs on the evening of June 4, the Tuesday of the Election Assembly. The Milwaukee Brewers will play the Oakland Athletics. Barb Haag, director of food services for Sacred Heart at Monastery Lake, will prepare a pre-game tailgate party.
Tickets will be ordered later this week. SCJs who want to attend should contact Fr. Cassidy ASAP at tomcscj@mac.com.
The U.S. Province Election Assembly will begin at noon on Monday, June 3.
Calendar notes
As noted above, the U.S. Province Election Assembly will begin at noon on Monday, June 3.
The North American Conference, which concludes Fr. General’s visitation of Canada and the United States, will begin with prayer on Tuesday, September 24 at 4:30 p.m., and conclude with lunch on Friday, September 27.
The jubilee celebrations for the U.S. Province will Monday, September 23.
Provincial’s time
Fr. Tom Cassidy is in South Dakota this week for Mission Education and meetings. April 18 he goes to Mississippi for board meetings at Sacred Heart Southern Missions. He comes home on April 20 and then leaves for Vietnam on April 22, where he will attend the inauguration of the first SCJ house in the country.
